Sprag.



M. A. ALLISON.

SPRAG. APPLICATION men FEB. 21.1913.

1,278,819. PatnvedSept. 17,1918.

INVENTOR, l 9 mzeew diam/2 BY WW,

ATTOR N EV UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATHEW A. ALLISON, 0F CANIEBRAKE, W'IES'I VIRGINIA.

SPRAG.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 1'7, 1918.

Application filed February 27, 1918. Serial No. 219,468.

independent brakes on the individual cars or comparatively expensive brakes on any of the cars of a train.

I particularly aim to provide a novel construction'of slidable sprag which has a portion against which a car wheel abuts and which portion is effectively braced, and which sprag has a means cooperating with the track rail and with the wheels of the cars to prevent displacement of thesprag Particular and more servient ob]ects Wlll become apparent as the invention is described hereinafter. with relation to accompanying drawings illustrating one preferred embodiment and in which Figure 1 is a view showing a sprag constructed according to my inventlon, 1n side elevation, and in connection with a fragment of a car and a fragment of a railroad track;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the sprag;

Fig. 3 is a top or plan View of the sprag, and

Fig. 4 is a front end View of the sprag.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the construction of my improved sprag may be best seen by reference to Figs. 2, 3 and 4:. A base is provided consisting of an angle iron having walls 5 and 6, disposed vertically and horizontally respectively. It will be noted that both walls 5 and 6 are deflected upwardly at their forward ends as at 7 so as to prevent binding engagement with the track rail as shown at 8 in Fig. 1, as the sprag travels. A bar is also employed which is bent into an inclined foot 9, at one end, and in a foot 10 at the other end which is beveled to a feather edge as at 11, to provide a smooth tread from the wall 6. Rivets or other suitable fastening means may be employed at 12 to secure the bar to the wall 6. Foot 10 leads into an upwardly curved abutment 13, which for a portion is substantially arcuate to conform to the tread of the car wheel. For the purpose of bracing, this abutment 13, a bar is extended upwardly atllt above abutment 13 and toward the rear, being bent over or returned as at 15, and leading into an inclined strut 16,

finally joining the foot 9. The strut 16 and portions 14 and 15 effectively brace and rigidify the abutment portion 13.

Attention should also be called to the fact that the Wall 6 is beveled to a feather edge as at 17 so that it will not provide an abrupt portion for the wheel riding from the rail onto wall 6. Also, wall 5 is preferably inclined toward the rail as at 18, in order that the flange of the wheel may be effec I tively guided against the exterior surface of the wall 5.

For the purpose of explanation, I have lillustrateda mining car of the type which is usually used in coal. mining, at A. This type is to be taken as conventional only and its wheels are shown at B- Their flanges are illustrated at C.

In use, before the car or train travels a down-grade, the sprag is positioned as shown in Fig. 1, where the wall 5 laps the inner wall of the rail 8. Also, the flange 0 laps the bar at the portion 13, and thus the sprag is secured against lateral movement. As the train travels along, the sprag by its frictional engagement with the rail serves as an effective brace and thus overcomes the necessity of employing braking mechanism on each car or on a number of them. In mining cars, the cost should be kept at the minimum, and by the provision of a braking means which is independent of the cars, the desideratum is effectively served.

The sprag will slide free enough over the track but will be retarded from excess speed due to the frictional engagement of the sprag with the rail. The front end of the sprag is bent upwardly as shown at 7 so as to prevent it from biting in the rail and engaging with small obstructions.

Since merely the preferred embodiment has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood thatchanges in the details of construction may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. A sprag comprising a body portion, a flange extending downwardly and at right angle therefrom, an abutment comprising a flat piece of material bent back on itself, feet on said abutment and means assing through said feet for securing the a utment on the body portion.

2. A sprag comprising a body portion, a flange extending downwardly and at right angle therefrom, a bevelat one end of the body portion and on the upper side thereof, an upwardly extending portion at the opposite end thereof, an abutment comprising a flat piece' of material bent back on itself, feet on said abutment and means passing through said feet for securing the abutment on'the body portion.

3. A sprag comprising a body portion, a flange extending therefrom, a bevel, atone end of the body portion and on the opposite end thereof, an upwardly extending portion at the opposite end thereof, an abutment comprising a fiat piece of material bent back on itself and contacting for a short distance then diverging and terminating in feet, and means passing through the feet for securing the same to the body portion.

4L. A sprag comprising a body portion, a

flange extending downwardly at an angle therefrom, a bevel at one end of the body portion and on the upper sidethereof, an upwardly extendin portion at the opposite end thereof an a utment comprising a flat piece of material beveled at one end, extending forward and bent to form an arcuate abutment portion, avertical extension from\ Copies of this patent may be obtained for forward portion of the body and means for securing the abutment to the body.

5. A sprag having a base, a bar having a "portion secured thereto at one end, an abutment portion rising from said portion, an angle portion vertically extending from the abutment portion, said an le portion being returned back on itself and le'ading to a strut portion, and means 'tosecure said strut portion to the base.

6. A spragcomprising a base of angle iron formation, said base having the upper wall upturned at the forward end for the purpose specified, a bar secured to the base at the rear portion, said bar at the rear portion being beveled toward the base, a substantially curved abutment portion rising from the rear portion, an angle portion'extending from the abutment'p'ortion, said'angle portion being returned, a strut extending from the angle portion and terminating in a foot, and means to secure said foot to the base.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

'MATHEW A. ALLISON. Witnesses;

B. W. BFABELD, JAHN BUNGARNDER.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

